A Full Loop
by DameM
Summary: An alternative (not canon), one-shot look at the ending of Bleach. Ten years is a long time, things have changed and yet, some things haven't.


_A/N: Okay, so the last chapter of_ _ **Bleach**_ _came out today. It kind of annoyed me. Alright, it really annoyed me. The ten year time skip left a lot unsaid and it left a lot of people hanging. Won't say anymore in case anyone hasn't read it yet. That being said, if you haven't already, go read it before reading this. I'm making it my fan fiction author's prerogative to change some things to my liking. Call it an **AU** if you must but like I said, the last chapter annoyed me._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Tite Kubo et al.

 _A Full Loop_

Rukia and Renji arrived in front of the Kurosaki clinic shortly after the former's captaincy ceremony. Renji been given the day and Rukia two to spend with the friends in the World of the Living. It was a promise they'd made a while ago and despite duties that made it hard to connect with those still living, this was something they would have only given up in an emergency. Of course, had it been an actual emergency, Ichigo and the others would have probably been right alongside them so it wouldn't have been much of a miss anyway.

"Yo," a tenor voice greeted them in the doorway, its owner leaning against the sliding doors.

"Hey," Rukia answered with a smile. Her now long hair blew in the breeze, the hairstyle along with the height she'd gained in the last ten years finally making her look like a young adult instead of a teenager.

Ichigo turned to go back inside, the two Shinigami following the tall young man who'd saved the universe. His hair was shorter then it'd ever been, maturity making him more inclined to a cleaner cut than when he'd been a "punk" teen who hadn't cared what people thought about his hair.

"It's still really quiet in here. Was that a cricket I heard?" Rukia asked, her smile turning into a grin when he scowled back at her.

"You know, this clinic is for emergencies. The fact that it's quiet is a _good_ thing."

"Are you sure it isn't because the new Kurosaki-sensei keeps scaring his patients away?"

"Ah, hell, Rukia, don't call me that."

"You know," Renji began, speaking up for the first time. "For a married couple who hasn't seen each other in months, you two don't seem happy to see each other."

"What, you think we'd be all over each other with this crowd? Besides, there are kids around." Ichigo paused and looked around the living room. "There are supposed to be anyway. Has anyone seen Kazui?" Losing track of his son was never a good thing.

Orihime came in from another room, a gentle smile on her face. "According to Tsubaki and the others, Kazui and Hana were over at Hyori-chan's again."

"Great, I'm going to pay for that one." The others in the room chuckled as they got reacquainted, chattering happily about the heavyweight championship fight they were about to watch. Chad had become a big name and they were all eager to see him win another match.

"Yare, yare, Kurosaki-san, you worry too much," another voice said from behind the others, the unmistakable voice of Kisuke Urahara interrupting Ichigo's lament. The ex-captain walked forward despite being blind, his cane sword and ability to sense spiritual energy making it easy to avoid objects and people around him. The younger generation made a spot for him on the couch, Yuzu moving Benihime out of the way so that no one would trip over her.

"Has it started yet?" Yoruichi asked, her presence ignored until then. She walked with a small limp thanks to the poison that had almost killed her but it hadn't made her any slower when it came to flash step or any weaker with kido or shunko. She was still a force to be reckoned with and no one had dared called her handicapped since Kenpachi made the mistake shortly after her recovery.

"No, you made it just in time."

"And where are my favorite students?" she asked, relaxing next to Mizuiro.

"They should be back any minute now. Speaking of students…" Ichigo looked at Renji, an orange brow furrowed. "Say, weren't you supposed to bring your kid now that she's an apprentice?"

"That's right!" the other man said, grinning proudly. Turning, he looked behind him as if she would magically appear. "Huh, it appears she's gone missing."

"Renji! She's just a kid!"

"You're such a worry wart, Ichigo," Rukia said. "She's a Shinigami. A human is no match for her."

"Great, you're teaching her to be a bully." Sighing, Ichigo glared up at the ceiling when his son's spiritual energy returned. "Yo, Kazui, get your butt down here, your mother's home!"

There was a lengthy silence before a young boy pounded down the stairs and ran into the room, almost tripping Karin up who'd been passing out drinks. "Mom!" Delight filled light brown eyes and a large smile graced Kazui's face as he raced to Rukia.

Rukia broke into a smile of her own, leaning down so that she could hug the second love of her life. "There's my boy. Have you been good for your aunts?" she asked.

"Uh-huh. I've been practicing my shunpo and kido too. Yoruichi-sensei is fun!" The others in the room looked at the purple haired woman in question and shook their heads in tandem.

"By the time he's in high school I'll have him ready to be a captain," Yoruichi declared.

"That's what we're afraid of," the boy's parents replied together.

"How long can you stay, Mom?"

"Only for a couple of days. I just became a captain and that involves a lot of hard work." Regretting the words as soon as they came out of her mouth, Rukia hugged her son fiercely and turned him around to see the TV. "Why don't we watch Uncle Chad beat his opponent first and then we can play together. Renji brought his daughter along and I thought you'd like to meet her."

"He already did," Hana stated, her voice clearly showing her displeasure. "Some insolent girl just phased right through the wall like she owned the place. Kazui was taking care of some weird energy that had floated in and she acted like he'd done something wrong."

"Weird energy?" the adults questioned with various degrees of confusion.

"It was just the remains of Yhwach. Apparently Uncle missed some ten years ago," Hana reported, pushing up her glasses in a move that was so reminiscent of her father it was startling. "I could have handled it but he beat me to it, unfortunately."

"Well, if it's all gone then we don't have to worry about it do we?" Urahara said, the ringing of a bell bringing everyone's attention back to the TV. "It appears our dear friend has done it again." The tall, imposing figure of Chad was framed in lights, his arm held high after knocking out his opponent. "It really is too bad Ishida-sensei couldn't join us."

"Uryuu said he was sorry and that he'd be watching it during his lunch break so that he'd at least he'd be with us in spirit. He really hates it when he can't be with the rest of us."

"We know, Orihime," Rukia consoled, feeling the same. She had taken a difficult path and she often wondered if being with Ichigo was right. Many had told her to let him marry a human but he'd been so adamant that she hadn't had the strength to refuse him.

"So, where is my kid?" Renji asked, a mouthful of popcorn muffling the words.

"Oh, I left her tied up with a kido spell. She didn't believe me when I told her I was a Shinigami too," Kazui said, grinning.

"You left her…" Ichigo couldn't help the grin that broke out. "Huh, that sounds kind of familiar…"

"Doesn't it?" Rukia asked, a soft smile gracing her lips. "It seems history likes repeating itself in some respects."

"Yeah…" Ichigo agreed, reaching out to touch her for the first time since she'd arrived. "Okay, squirt, go let your new friend go and tell her to come downstairs to meet the rest of us."

"He can't," Hana stated.

"He can't?" Rukia questioned her son. Kazui grinned sheepishly.

"No, you see, while I can do a lot of kido spells…"

"He can't undo them," Hana finished for him.

"Hana!" her cousin protested.

"Well, you can't, and unless one of the adults can undo it, she's going to be stuck like that forever."

"I can undo it myself!" a shout from the doorway interrupted and they all turned to see an auburn haired girl struggle to stay on her feet. "I'm a Shinigami apprentice and I don't need the help of some brat or a Quincy to free myself."

Renji stood up and went to his daughter. "I should make you go home without undoing this spell just for that. Apologize to the others. It doesn't matter where their powers came from. They're still kids just like you."

"I wouldn't help you anyway," Hana stated, the insult to her pride and cousin making her defensive.

"It's okay, Hana. I'll just beat her the old fashion way." Kazui popped out of his body and drew his sword. "Let's go, Shinigami. Show me what you've got."

"It's not _Shinigami_. My name's Ichika Abarai."

"And I'm Kazui Kurosaki."

Renji freed his daughter, knowing that there was only one way the two of them were going to settle their differences. "Try not to kill each other," he sighed and watched as they flash stepped away.

"You know, if they attract a Hollow, you're taking care of it," Rukia told the two fathers and watched as they flinched. The children's spiritual pressure was strong so it was a distinct possibility.

"Don't worry, Aunt Rukia, if they do, I'll take care of it," Hana stated, summoning her bow. With a quick bow to the assemble company, she used _hirenkyaku_ to catch up to the other children.

"Just like her dad," Ichigo grumbled good naturedly and sat down. "So, how are things on the other side?" It would be a while before the kids got back.

"Well, I didn't know about there still being any of Yhwach's energy left but I guess since there hasn't been any call for help that Kazui really did handle it. Other than that, we're still rebuilding even after all this time but for the most part we're enjoying the peace that has been granted to us for the last ten years." Rukia perched on the arm of the chair that Ichigo was sitting in, her spiritual energy brushing against his.

"You guys lost a lot of people, didn't you?" Tatsuki asked, her voice pensive.

"Yeah, too many," Renji answered. He remembered finding Kira's body in the rubble, the blond man's right side nearly gone. The lieutenant had managed to stay alive long enough to fight off another Quincy before succumbing to his injuries.

Rukia sighed, remembering the sorrow that had filled everyone when they'd discovered Yachiru, her small body crushed under some debris. She was sure that if Kenpachi hadn't been unconscious at the time, there would have been another monster on the loose. Thankfully they'd been able to break the news to him gently although the large man had already known.

"We thought you two were gone for sure," Renji admitted, addressing Urahara and Yoruichi.

"If it hadn't been for Neliel-san, we would have been."

"Yes, it's thanks to her that my brother, Grimmjow, Kisuke and I didn't blow up in that explosion. And her emergency medical treatment saved us from the poison."

"I miss Unohana-san, but Isane Kotetsu is doing a wonderful job as the new captain of Squad Four."

"Yeah, without everyone there and Orihime, I don't think the rest of us would have survived."

"Ah, quit it, you guys, the mood's all depressing now," Karin said, trying to get her family out of their bad memories. "We should go track down the kids so they don't get into trouble with the Soul Society. Or wreck everything and make Cousin Uryuu mad. He told Ichi-nii that the next time he let Kazui break something near the hospital, he'd come after him with a Seele Schneider, whatever that is."

"Oh, my, I guess we should," Orihime said, touching her hairpins. Tsubaki and the others appeared in the living room, waiting for the healer to give them directions. "Would you very much mind going to get the children?"

"Hn, what are we, babysitters?" Tsubaki grumbled, crossing his arms defiantly.

"Perish the thought," Ichigo retorted. A roar in the distance alerted them to the fact that a Hollow had appeared and he stood in one smooth move to transform. "Looks like we got extermination duty, Renji. Have you slowed down in your old age?" he asked his friend, Zangetsu a comforting weight on his back.

"You wish," the other man replied and took off in a cloud of _reishi_. Ichigo went after him, leaving all the others behind.

"Some things never change," Rukia sighed and stretched before transforming herself. "I'll leave the clinic in your hands, Orihime. Somehow, I think the patients prefer you over Ichigo anyway. I'm going to track down the kids. Why don't you let Tsubaki and the others have a break since they seem to want to sit this one out."

"Sure," the healer said and began picking things up. "Will you two be okay here by yourselves?" She asked the older Shinigami, the duo looking more than content to stay where they were.

"We'll be fine," Yoruichi said. "Besides, we're not alone. These fine gentleman and ladies are with us and we can catch up."

Orihime exchanged knowing looks with Karin and returned to the clinic just in case someone came for help. Seeing that Ichigo had left files on the desk, she began putting them away, her thoughts straying to the ten years since the battle with the Quincys.

When Ichigo and Uryuu had returned from defeating Yhwach they had been badly injured in both spirit and spirit body. Yhwach had taken someone precious from them both and now that the person responsible for their mothers' murders was gone, the relief they should have felt hadn't been present. She knew it had been because so many had lost their lives and those that hadn't perished had still lost something that couldn't be returned.

Yhwach had used so much power that the only person whose Quincy powers he'd stolen that had returned were Ichigo's. His Hollow powers had come back too and Urahara had surmised that because they had been so intertwined by that point that somehow the one had protected the other.

Ishida and his father had remained Quincys but now it was more of burden than an honor. Her husband had been working over the years to change the nature of his powers but she wasn't sure that he'd ever be entirely successful. She'd told him countless times that it didn't matter and what did, was that he would always stand for what was right.

The phone rang, pulling her out of her thoughts and she answered it with a cheery voice. "Kurosaki Clinic, Ishida-sensei speaking."

"Orihime, will you tell that incompetent cousin of mine to come get his son?"

"I'm sorry, Uryuu but Ichigo is currently exterminating Hollows with Abarai-kun. Rukia is on her way to gather the kids, though. I'm sure that if you just give her a ring, she'll be right there."

"Abarai's here? That must explain the other Shinigami running around the streets near my hospital."

"They're not breaking anything, are they?" Orihime asked fearfully.

"So far a couple of telephone poles have bit the dust but other than that, their aims are surprisingly accurate. Why are they trying to beat each other to a bloody pulp?"

"Well, it seems that Ichika-chan insulted Kazui-kun and he used a binding spell on her that he couldn't remove. It injured her pride and now they're fighting."

"The son is disturbingly like the father at times," her husband sighed.

"I think it's rather cute. Maybe they'll grow to like each other and fall in love in the future."

"Things would certainly come full circle, wouldn't it?"

"Hmm, now that you mention it…" Orihime pondered but was startled by Ishida's surprised shout.

"My car! They destroyed my car! _Kazui Kurosaki!_ "

Orihime laughed softly as she imagined the sight, putting down the receiver when it was clear that her husband had other fish to fry. Namely one nephew that was going to wish he'd looked before he'd swung. "A full circle, huh? Maybe more of a full loop. Yes, that sounds right, a full loop. Some things change but some things don't. Always moving forward but always returning to the people who matter."

Smiling softly, she returned to her filing, pausing when her eyes lighted on the pictures on the wall. Karakura High School graduates glanced back at her, smiling with happiness and relief. After the Quincy War had ended and they'd returned home, they'd managed to return to school life with only the occasional reminder of what the other world had in store. They had taken pictures at each gathering, having learned the hard way that there was always a chance something could go wrong and they could end up losing someone.

"Guess it's time for another one," she murmured, searching for her phone.

"Perhaps you should wait," Orihime-san," Yuzu said from the office doorway. "Tatsuki-chan just got a message from Yasutora-kun that he's coming and will be here by dinner time. And Ishida-kun should be here by then too, won't he?"

"Oh, how wonderful! Yes, I'll wait. Uryuu may be a little later than usual as he doesn't have his car anymore."

"Huh, why not?" Karin asked, joining her sister.

"Kazui apparently blew it up…"

"No, not the car! It was only a week old."

"Who destroyed a car?" Ichigo's voice rang in, Renji right beside him as they returned from taking care of the Hollows.

"Your son," Rukia remarked, her voice clearly telling them she was displeased. In one hand she held Kazui while the other prevented Ichika from escaping.

"And whose car was it?"

"Father's," Hana informed, standing behind her aunt. "Needless to say, Mom, he's going to be a little late."

"Oh, that's alright, we'll be able to take a picture with everyone then," Orihime said, gathering the children to her side so that she could tend to their wounds.

"Great, he loved that car," Ichigo growled. "Rukia, I'm leaving the punishment to you. I don't even want to know the pain Ishida's going to put me through before he's satisfied."

"Very well," she answered. She was sure she could come up with something appropriate. "Renji, you should probably tell Rangiku-san that her little darling will be a little late."

"Sure, I'll get right on that…" Renji grimaced at the thought. Rangiku and he had widely differing views on parenthood and it made things difficult when it came to disciplining their daughter. Maybe if he told her it had been a really expensive sports car, she'd actually agree with him on a punishment. Ichika was the product of a night of drunken grief and they were still getting used to the fact that they had been allowed to remain unmarried. The fact that they weren't married was all thanks to who the soutaicho was and the man's lackadaisical attitude towards social norms. It was for the best as they had agreed from the get go that they weren't cut out for a relationship with each other.

The red haired man kept an eye on the delinquents while they were being treated, the phone in his hand ringing while he waited for someone to answer. When it clicked over to another line, he sighed, knowing who was going to answer shortly.

"Division Ten, Hitsugaya-taicho speaking," Toushiro said, the bored tone indicating that he would rather be elsewhere.

"Ah, Taicho, good day. Is Rangiku around?"

"She's getting briefed on the likely causes of Yhwach's energy disappearing suddenly."

"Oh, that's no mystery. Kazui destroyed the piece of it that was here. No problem."

"So it also appeared in the World of the Living?"

"Yeah, it must have been all connected. Anyway, will you tell her that our daughter is in serious trouble and needs a fitting punishment? I'll explain the rest of it when I get back which won't be until later. I'm going to wait until a couple more people show up before returning with Ichika."

"As you wish. May I ask what she did?"

"Well, it wasn't so much what _she_ did as being the cause of what happened. She and Kazui were fighting and Kazui used his Zanpakutou and well… Let's just say Ishida's brand new car is no more."

"Not the sports car! That was a work of art…" Toushiro had seen a picture of it and heard plenty from Karin about how great a machine it was when he'd heard from her earlier in the week upon being invited to their little get-together.

"So I heard. I hadn't even gotten to see it yet. So, do you think you can pass the message along?"

"No need, I will come up with something suitable."

"You?"

"Ichika is studying under me, it would not be amiss for me to discipline her for her misbehavior. We both know Matsumoto will not take this seriously enough."

"Oh, okay. Yeah, sure. I leave it to you then, Hitsugaya-taicho."

"Thank you. Please tell your daughter to prepare herself." Toushiro hung up with that last warning and Renji tucked the phone away.

"Well, looks like you're in for it," he told his wayward child, watching as she looked at him sullenly. "Hitsugaya-taicho was not pleased to learn of what you did. I have a feeling that if Kazui weren't going to get it from his mom, you two would be in the same boat."

"Hitsugaya-taicho knows?"

"Mm-hmm."

Ichika groaned, and ducked her head. "Great…"

"I bet Mom is a hundred times worse than that guy," Kazui said, earning himself another glare from his new "friend."

"No, she isn't! Kuchiki-taicho number two is far nicer than Hitsugaya-taicho!"

"Settle down, you two. Go watch some TV until the others get here." Renji shooed them away, listening to them argue the entire way into the living room. "Gee, they really do sound like Ichigo and Rukia."

"I think it's sweet. Besides, meeting now and learning how to get along bodes well for the future, don't you think? Since Kazui is being trained as a Shinigami and learning how to control his powers at a young age, he won't cause as many problems as Kurosaki-kun did."

Renji smiled at the healer and had to agree with her. "A car and a couple of telephone poles _is_ a lot better than the majority of the Seireitei."

"A lot less paperwork too," Rukia agreed from behind them and smiled at her friends. "Peace is reigning for the moment so why don't we continue to catch up? It'll be a while before Yasutora-kun and Ishida-kun get here. Then we'll be able to take that picture you want so bad," the new captain said, nodding towards the clinic's collection.

"Of course!" Orihime agreed, returning the smiles her friends gave her. Together they joined the others in the Kurosaki home, easily joining the conversation as the children flipped through channels hoping to find something they could all enjoy.

Yuzu was making dinner by the time the other two members of the Special War Time Powers gathered together and she hummed happily as she made enough for the small army that had descended upon the small home. Today was not about strategizing for a war or learning about an up-until-then unknown enemy. Today was about a gathering of friends that had been through so much that they might as well have been family.

"Yuzu-chan, is everything alright?" Rukia asked, drawing the homemaker out of her thoughts.

"Yes, I was just thinking about what a good day this is," she answered, calmly stepping aside when a stray arrow came her way. Sensing spiritual energy was still far easier for her siblings than it was her, but she could dodge when the occasion warranted it.

"Hey, watch where you point that thing, Ishida! Yuzu could have gotten hurt!" Ichigo yelled in the background.

"Unlikely but if you're so concerned, don't dodge next time," the archer retorted.

"Yes, it is a good day." Rukia shook her head and returned to the others, leaving her sister-in-law to her task. She didn't any help from her. Her husband on the other hand… "Ichigo, stop picking fights with your cousin. It's unbecoming of a doctor."

"He's the one…" Ichigo started to reply but stopped when Rukia drew him away. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just thought I'd catch a moment alone with you before dinner. Is that a problem?"

"No, I like the idea." Slipping his arms around her waist, he tucked her head underneath his chin. "I don't think we've had a moment to ourselves since you came home."

"Is this really my home, Ichigo? I'm hardly ever here."

"Of course it's your home. I know it's hard on everyone and maybe it's selfish of me but I can't stand the thought of not having you by my side even if it's only metaphorically most of the time. I'm so proud of the fact that you made captain finally even though I know it's only because Ukitake-san is gone. I hate the thought that the Gotei Thirteen is without his gentle wisdom but at the same time, I celebrate the fact that they recognize you as the strong person I've always known you to be."

"Baka, there were times when I wasn't strong."

"The strong have their weak moments. And I've always felt that you were stronger than me." He turned her around and gave her a gentle kiss, tightening his hold.

"And I've thought you were always stronger than me."

"We're pretty evenly matched now, huh?" he grinned, the spark in his eye reminding her of the cocky fifteen year old he'd been.

"That's what you think, brat," she said affectionately and left him standing with his mouth open while she returned to the living room in time to see Ichika kick Kazui in the shin. An argument ensue and Rukia could only look on with amusement.

"Kind of reminds you of the old days, doesn't it?" a deep voice asked, it's rumble familiar and much missed.

"Definitely," she mused and smiled at the tall man who'd just joined them. "You did well today, Chad."

"Thank you," he said, accepting her praise. "I am glad you stayed."

"Me too, Chad," Rukia said, knowing he meant more than just waiting for him to come back from his fight. He hadn't known she was going to stay for more than a day.

"You're back, Chad. Loved the fight," Ichigo said, clapping his friend on the back. "Hope you're hungry," he continued. "Yuzu's got enough to feed an army."

"Sure," the quiet giant agreed.

"My husband could eat a horse on a day when he doesn't have a match," Tatsuki put in, smiling up at the Fullbringer. Chad blushed slightly at her words. "Come on, let's dig in."

The perpetual bachelors hunted up chairs, Keigo and Mizuiro fighting good-naturedly to have Yoruichi beside them. She laughingly declined saying she had to help Kisuke so that he didn't spill anything. The group passed dishes and drinks around, their conversation never stopping even when a disagreement broke out.

By the time dinner was done and the new picture was taken, the group that consisted of brave warriors was exhausted. Yoruichi and Kisuke went home first, her hand tucked securely in his for no other reason than because she wanted it there. Mizuiro and Keigo said farewell next, their jobs as office workers needing them to be on an early train. Tatsuki and Chad meandered away, the dojo the latter run what they now called home. Uryuu, with a sleeping Hana on his back, waited until Orihime said her goodbyes to those that remained and walked by her family's side down the street, relating to the Quincy all that had gone on while he wasn't with them. No doubt it would take until they got home for her to finish. Renji and Ichika were left with Ichigo and his family, the red haired Shinigami staring at his friends in silent contemplation.

"Something wrong?" the daiko asked, feeling like he wanted to squirm.

"Nah. Just thinking about that loop business Orihime-san was talking about."

"Oh, you mean how some things change but others don't? Yeah, I kind of get what she's saying. We wanted to break the wheel of fate and I think we have. Or at least bent it a little bit. I don't think history is going to repeat itself completely anymore. Nor do you have to worry about an endless line that just keeps on going into forever."

Renji started a bit at the mention of something he'd thought about after the battle with the Bounts. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It was great seeing you, Ichigo. I'll let the others know you'll be back on time, Rukia. Time to go, Ichika."

"Uh-huh," the apprentice mutter and dragged her feet after her father.

"He's going to have a tough time with that one," Ichigo said, turning to lock the door on the clinic. His sisters had shooed Rukia and him away, telling him to go home with his family. He'd finally agreed, letting them have the house to themselves again.

"He already does," Rukia said, holding her son tightly. Kazui was sound asleep, boneless in his posture. "Thank goodness for Hitsugaya-taicho."

"You can always count on Toushiro."

"Mm," she agreed following Ichigo down the road. A hand bumped hers as they rounded the corner and she casually slipped it into the strong grip of her husband's. Silently they walked the rest of the way to their apartment, the presence of the other the only thing they needed.

* * *

The next day, a copy of the new picture was sent to all that had been at the gathering, framed by a looping pattern that went forever forward but always connected.

* * *

 _A/N: Okay, there, it's taken me most of the day to get this out and off my chest but here you go. Maybe I'll write another at some point in the future that creates more detail but right now, I have others to finish. Which I will get to…eventually._


End file.
